Man gets 40 days in death of dog

Man gets 40 days in death of dog

March 13th, 2012 in News

HILLSBORO, Mo. (AP) - An eastern Missouri man has been sentenced to 40 days in jail for using a hockey stick to strangle a dog.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch (http://bit.ly/zQ42F1 ) reports that 53-year-old Steven Brunello was sentenced Monday after pleading guilty in December to a felony animal abuse charge. He was also placed on probation for five years.

Brunello, of Jefferson County, told authorities that he killed a dog that had been in a fight with another dog in November 2009. He said the dog attacked him after he tried to break up the fight.

But a deputy who went to the scene said there was no sign of a dog fight or of injuries to Brunello.